New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday ruled that telecom firms whose licences were cancelled and didn't participate in fresh auction for 2G spectrum will cease to operate immediately.

Telecom firms which continued operation after cancellation of licences will pay fee as per reserved price fixed for fresh auction in Nov 2012, the apex court ordered.

The Supreme Court clarified that its February 2, 2012 order cancelling licences will not be applicable on telecom firms holding 900 MHZ band spectrum.

Most of the companies did not turn up for the auctioning of 2g spectrum held in November. This gave the Congress-led government, whose minister is alleged to have a role in 2g scam, an opportunity to claim that its policy of giving up the spectrum without auctioning was the only way and that the policy did not cause any loss to exchequer.